This invention relates to gaming peripherals for gaming machines such as slot machines and video poker machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to standard peripheral communication connections between the gaming peripheral and the gaming machine.
There are a wide variety of associated devices that can be connected to a gaming machine such as a slot machine or video poker machine. Some examples of these devices are lights, ticket printers, card readers, speakers, bill validators, coin acceptors, display panels, key pads, and button pads. Many of these devices are built into the gaming machine. Often, a number of devices are grouped together in a separate box that is placed on top of the gaming machine. Devices of this type are commonly called a top box.
Typically, the gaming machine controls various combinations of devices. These devices provide gaming features that augment the features of the gaming machine. Further, many devices such as top boxes are designed to be removable from the gaming machine to provide flexibility in selecting the game features of a given gaming machine.
The features of any device are usually controlled by a xe2x80x9cmaster gaming controllerxe2x80x9d within the gaming machine. For example, during a game the master gaming controller might instruct lights to go on and off in various patterns, instruct a printer to print a ticket or send information to be displayed on a display screen. For the master gaming controller to perform these operations, connections from the device are wired directly into some type of electronic board (e.g., a xe2x80x9cback planexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cmother boardxe2x80x9d) containing the master gaming controller.
To operate a device, the master gaming controller requires parameters, operation features and configuration information specific to each peripheral device. This information is incorporated into software and stored in some type of memory device on the master gaming controller. This device specific software operates the features of the device during a game. As an example, to operate a set of lights, the software for the master gaming controller would require information such as the number and types of lights, features of the lights, signals that correspond to each feature, and the response time of the lights.
One disadvantage of the current operation method for devices controlled by a master gaming controller is that each time a device is replaced the gaming machine must be shutdown. Then, the wires from the device are disconnected from the master gaming controller and the master gaming controller is rewired for the new device. A device might be replaced to change the game features or to repair a malfunction within the device. Similarly, if the circuit board containing the master gaming controller or the master gaming controller itself needs repair, then the wiring from the all the devices connected to the gaming controller must be removed before the gaming controller can be removed. After repair or replacement, the master gaming controller must be rewired to all of the devices. This wiring process is time consuming and can lead to significant down-time for the gaming machine. Further, the person performing the installation requires detailed knowledge of the mechanisms within the gaming machine. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a standard communication protocol and/or connection system for installing or removing devices and master gaming controllers that simplifies this wiring process.
Another disadvantage of the current operation method of devices controlled by a master gaming controller involves the software for the devices. When a new device is installed on a gaming machine, software specific to the device must be installed on the master gaming controller. Again, the gaming machine must be shutdown and the person performing this installation process requires detailed knowledge of the gaming machine and the device. Accordingly, it would be desirable to simplify the software installation process.
This invention addresses the needs indicated above by providing a gaming machine having a plurality of xe2x80x9cgaming peripherals,xe2x80x9d each communicating with a master gaming controller via a standard peripheral interface such as the USB (Universal Serial Bus). For some gaming peripherals, the communication between the master gaming controller and the gaming peripheral may include various security features such as encryption, secure ports, and secure hubs. Further, the gaming peripherals of this invention preferably employ a standard peripheral controller and one or more specialized xe2x80x9cperipheral devicesxe2x80x9d (e.g., the actual lights, bill validators, ticket printers, etc. that perform the specific functions of the gaming peripherals). Much of the hardware associated with the peripheral controller is identical from one gaming peripheral to the next. Only a portion of the peripheral controller hardware is specific to the different types of gaming peripherals.
One aspect of the present invention provides a gaming machine that generally can be characterized as including (1) a master gaming controller that controls one or more games played on the gaming machine, and (2) a plurality of gaming peripherals coupled to the gaming machine and in communication with the master gaming controller. As described above, the gaming peripheral should include (a) a standard peripheral communications connection, which may be identical in each gaming peripheral (b) one or more peripheral devices specific to the individual gaming peripheral and (c) a peripheral controller that controls the one or more peripheral devices. The peripheral controller preferably includes (i) a control microprocessor that controls communication with the master gaming controller over the peripheral connection (the controller microprocessor is substantially similar in each gaming peripheral), and (ii) a peripheral interface that directly connects to one or more peripheral devices and is specific to the individual gaming peripheral. In one embodiment, the gaming machine includes a mother board with an acceptor for the master gaming controller and a hub containing a plurality of standard communications ports for connecting to the plurality of gaming peripherals. The acceptor is configured to allow the master gaming controller to be removed from the mother board without requiring disconnection of the gaming peripherals from the hub. Further, the mother board is configured to allow additional gaming peripherals to be connected to the master gaming controller without requiring that the mother board be rewired.
In preferred embodiments, the gaming machine is a mechanical slot machine, a video slot machine, a keno game, a lottery game, or a video poker game. One or more of the peripheral devices may be selected from the group consisting of lights, printers, coin hoppers, bill validators, ticket readers, card readers, key pads, button panels, display screens, speakers, information panels, motors, mass storage devices and solenoids.
In preferred embodiments, at least one of the standard communications ports is a secure port, having a level of security exceeding that of other ports on the hub. The secure port is secured by one or more doors, locks, sensors, evidence tapes, or combinations thereof. Further, the master gaming controller may be configured to require that a specified gaming peripheral be connected only through the secure port. Also, the gaming machine may include a plurality of hubs, each containing a plurality of standard communications ports for connecting to the plurality of gaming peripherals, where one or more of the hubs is a secure hub, having a level of security exceeding that of one or more other hubs. The secure hub is secured by one or more doors, locks, sensors, evidence tapes, or combinations thereof. Further, the master gaming controller is configured to require that specified gaming peripherals be connected only through secure hubs.
In one embodiment, the master gaming controller within the gaming machine includes a memory storing 1) software for a standard device identification protocol for at least some of the gaming peripherals, 2) one more device drivers for at least some of the gaming peripherals 3) software for a standard communication protocol that allows communication with the gaming peripherals via the standard communications connection and 4) software for encrypting, decrypting, or encrypting and decrypting communications between the master gaming controller and at least one of the gaming peripherals. The master gaming controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of gaming peripherals connected through hubs with standard peripheral communication connections in the form of a daisy chain where at least one of the gaming peripherals is connected to the hub on the mother board connected to the master gaming controller. Further, the master gaming controller is configured to communicate high-level instructions that do not specify precise control of the peripheral devices of one of the gaming peripherals. Following the high-level instructions, the peripheral controller of at least one gaming peripheral provides low-level instructions precisely controlling the operation of its peripheral devices.
In preferred embodiments, the peripheral controller includes a non-volatile memory arranged to store at least one of a) configuration parameters specific to the individual gaming peripheral and b) state history information of the peripheral. Further, the peripheral controller may include a power converter arranged to convert the voltage coming from the gaming machine to voltages used by the gaming peripheral. Also, the gaming peripheral may include a communications hub including the standard peripheral communications connection for communicating with the master gaming controller and a plurality of standard communications ports for connecting to the plurality of devices within the peripheral.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method for controlling a gaming peripheral on a gaming machine. The method may be characterized as including the following steps 1) sending a high level instruction for controlling the gaming peripheral from the master gaming controller to a peripheral controller associated with the gaming controller via a standard peripheral connection, where the high level instruction does not precisely specify how the gaming peripheral must perform an operation associated with the high level instruction, 2) converting the high level instruction to one or more low level operating instructions, at the peripheral controller, for controlling the operation of one more peripheral devices provided with the gaming peripheral, 3) controlling operation of the one or more peripheral devices with the low level operating instructions. In one embodiment, to send instructions, the master gaming controller a) confirms that the gaming peripheral is communicating with the master gaming controller, b) sends instructions to configure the gaming peripheral via the standard peripheral connection, c) prior to sending the high level instruction, identifies the features of a peripheral device using a standard device identification protocol, d) prior to sending the high level instruction, loads or initializes a device driver for the peripheral device at the master gaming controller, e) determines when the master gaming controller has no device driver precisely matching the gaming peripheral and attempts to identify an available device driver that meets at least some requirements for controlling the gaming peripheral and f) determines when the gaming peripheral has been disconnected or is no longer communicating with the master gaming controller and removes the device driver.
The master gaming controller communicates with one or more peripheral devices selected from the group consisting of lights, printers, coin counters, bill validators, ticket readers, card readers, key pads, button panels, display screens, speakers, information panels, motors, mass storage devices and solenoids. After receiving instructions, the gaming peripheral i) sends a keep alive message to the master gaming controller, where the keep alive message specifies a current operation that is being executed by the gaming peripheral and ii) stores in non-volatile memory state history information in the gaming peripheral where the state history information specifies a recent operating state of the gaming peripheral iii) transmits the stored state history information to the master gaming controller.
Another aspect of the invention provides a gaming machine that may be characterized by the following features: (a) a master gaming controller that controls one or more games played on the gaming machine; (b) a plurality of separately designated communications ports; and (c) a plurality of separately designated gaming peripherals in communication with the master gaming controller via the plurality of communications ports, wherein each of the plurality of gaming peripherals employs a standard communications interface in a manner that requires certain of the separately designated gaming peripherals to communicate only over certain of the separately designated communications ports. For additional security, at least one of the plurality of separately designated communications ports may be a secure port, having a level of security exceeding that of other ports on the hub. Further, some hubs may be made more secure than other hubs. As mentioned, additional security may be provided by, for example, one or more doors, locks, sensors, evidence tapes, electronic keys, and combinations thereof.
These and other features of the present invention will be presented in more detail in the following detailed description of the invention and the associated figures.